The host nation scooped all the medals in the Young Riders division at the FEI Americas Jumping Championship in Caracas, Venezuela last weekend. However Chile claimed gold in the Junior competition, Colombia came out on top in the Pre-Juniors and Ecuador stood top of the podium in the Children's section.

The 2010 Championships were staged at the Escuela de Equitacion Negro Primero which is located at Fuerte Tiuna in Caracas, Venezuela, and 10 nations participated in the exciting event. These Championships were previously held in Bogota, Colombia in 2009 and prior to that in Caracas in 2007 and Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2006.

KEENEST COMPETITION
Some of the keenest competition was seen in the younger divisions with both the Children and Pre-Junior and medals decided in a third-round jump-off. There were 13 starters in the Children's Championship, and Ecuador's Claudia Silva and Venezuela's Victoria Karam impressively completed the first three classes on a zero score and so battled it out against the clock.

Karam and her 16 year old Argentinian-bred horse Agosto left all the fences up once again in the timed round when returning in 36.95 seconds. But the 12 year old rider had to settle for silver when 13 year old Silva steered her chestnut mare Soraya through the beam in 32.61 to clinch the gold. Bronze went to Colombia's Antonia Bickenbach and Sirius who picked up just four faults in the final class, while Chile's Alexander Imschenetzky and Badahoz just missed out the on medals when finishing on a total of eight.

The Pre-Junior champion was Valeria Hernandez from Colombia whose accumulated score of 20 gave her an emphatic victory with her Westphalian-bred eight year old Canturo. However her compatriot, Camilo Rueda, went into a two-way tussle for the silver with 15 year old Maria Gloria Andrade from Ecuador and it was the latter who came out on top in the final analysis while Rueda and her 12 year old, Amaretto-Avenir, were awarded the bronze. Venezuela's Maria Gabrila Suarez and the French-bred Kalme Plardiere slotted into fourth place here.

CLEAN, CLEAR VICTORY
Chile's Rodolfo Morstade and his stallion Embrojo led the Junior competition from the outset and clinched a clean, clear victory in this division. He had to see off the attentions of some experienced opposition however, with 18 year old Luis Fernando Larrazabal from Venezuela, who finished fifth in Pre-Juniors at the Championships in Caracas in 2006 and seventh in the Children's Championship in Buenos Aires a year earlier, producing a strong challenge with his nine year old gelding Conrad D. Junior bronze went to Eduardo Nieto and Grannus from Colombia who finished two points ahead of fourth-placed Alberto Schwaim and Prinz Forlegato from Chile.

Just four lined in the closing stages of the Young Riders Championship which was totally dominated by the home riders and 18 year old Martin Jeri and his eight year old chestnut Selle Francais, Olympe du Fouguet, reigned supreme. Juan Larrazabal and his 12 year old stallion Kourgann de Reis claimed silver while Ariana Velutini and Gold Finder took bronze, and it was the perfect conclusion to the event hosted solely by the Venezuelan NF. The Federation caters for only 460 horses and approximately 350 riders but is pro-active in promoting the sport of jumping in the region and was delighted to field a World Championship team for the very first time at this year's Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky, USA.

Pablo Barrios did his country proud when finishing 29th individually in Kentucky, and has inspired the next generation of Venezuelan riders to also reach for the stars.

Facts and Figures:
A total of 19 competitions were staged during these Championships.
The fixture was hosted by the National Federation of Venezuela
The venue was the Escuela de Equitacion Negro Primero in Caracas which is located at Fuerte Tiuna in Caracas.
10 nations participated
The Americas Jumping Championships were previously staged in Bogota, Colombia in 2009 and, prior to that, in Caracas, Venezuela in 2007.
The National Federation of Venezuela has approximately 350 athletes with 460 horses.
A Venezuelan jumping team competed at World Championship level for the very first time during the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky, USA this year.
Venezuela's Pablo Barrios finished individually 29th in the final standings at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™.